Pre-coupled silicon-treated carbon blacks

ABSTRACT

A silicon-treated carbon black pre-coupled with a coupling agent is disclosed. Compositions and articles of manufacture, including elastomeric compositions, containing such a pre-coupled silicon-treated carbon black as well as methods of making the same are also disclosed.

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/027,099 filed Sep. 25, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to silicon-treated carbon blacks which have been oxidized and/or combined with a coupling agent. More particularly, the invention relates to pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon blacks, and to compositions and articles incorporating such carbon blacks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Carbon blacks are widely used as pigments, fillers, and reinforcing agents in the compounding and preparation of rubber and other elastomeric compounds. Carbon blacks are particularly useful as reinforcing agents in the preparation of elastomeric compounds used in the manufacture of tires.

Carbon blacks are generally produced in a furnace-type reactor by pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon feedstock with hot combustion gases to produce combustion products containing particulate carbon black. Carbon black exists in the form of aggregates. The aggregates, in turn are formed of carbon black particles. However, carbon black particles do not generally exist independently of the carbon black aggregate. Carbon blacks are generally characterized on the basis of analytical properties, including, but not limited to particle size and specific surface area; aggregate size, shape, and distribution; and chemical and physical properties of the surface. The properties of carbon blacks are analytically determined by tests known to the art. For example, nitrogen adsorption surface area (measured by ASTM test procedure D3037--Method A) and cetyl-trimethyl ammonium bromide adsorption value (CTAB) (measured by ASTM test procedure D3765 [09.01]), are measures of specific surface area. Dibutylphthalate absorption of the crushed (CDBP) (measured by ASTM test procedure D3493-86) and uncrushed (DBP) carbon black (measured by ASTM test procedure D2414-93), relates to the aggregate structure. The bound rubber value relates to the surface activity of the carbon black. The properties of a given carbon black depend upon the conditions of manufacture and may be modified, e.g., by altering temperature, pressure, feedstock, residence time, quench temperature, throughput, and other parameters.

It is generally desirable in the production of tires to employ carbon black containing compounds when constructing the tread and other portions of the tire. For example, a suitable tread compound will employ an elastomer compounded to provide high abrasion resistance and good hysteresis balance at different temperatures. A tire having high abrasion resistance is desirable because abrasion resistance is proportional to tire life. The physical properties of the carbon black directly influence the abrasion resistance and hysteresis of the tread compound. Generally, a carbon black with a high surface area and small particle size will impart a high abrasion resistance and high hysteresis to the tread compound. Carbon black loading also affects the abrasion resistance of the elastomeric compounds. Abrasion resistance increases with increased loading, at least to an optimum point, beyond which abrasion resistance actually decreases.

The hysteresis of an elastomeric compound relates to the energy dissipated under cyclic deformation. In other words, the hysteresis of an elastomeric composition relates to the difference between the energy applied to deform the elastomeric composition and the energy released as the elastomeric composition recovers to its initial undeformed state. Hysteresis is characterized by a loss tangent, tan δ, which is a ratio of the loss modulus to the storage modulus (that is, viscous modulus to elastic modulus). Tires made with a tire tread compound having a lower hysteresis measured at higher temperatures, such as 40° C. or higher, will have reduced rolling resistance, which in turn, results in reduced fuel consumption by the vehicle using the tire. At the same time, a tire tread with a higher hysteresis value measured at low temperature, such as 0° C. or lower, will result in a tire with high wet traction and skid resistance which will increase driving safety. Thus, a tire tread compound demonstrating low hysteresis at high temperatures and high hysteresis at low temperatures can be said to have a good hysteresis balance.

There are many other applications where it is useful to provide an elastomer exhibiting a good hysteresis balance but where the abrasion resistance is not an important factor. Such applications include but are not limited to tire components such as undertread, wedge compounds, sidewall, carcass, apex, bead filler and wire skim; engine mounts; and base compounds used in industrial drive and automotive belts.

Silica is also used as a reinforcing agent (or filler) for elastomers. However, using silica alone as a reinforcing agent for elastomer leads to poor performance compared to the results obtained with carbon black alone as the reinforcing agent. It is theorized that strong filler-filler interaction and poor filler-elastomer interaction accounts for the poor performance of silica. The silica-elastomer interaction can be improved by chemically bonding the two with a chemical coupling agent, such as bis (3-triethoxysilylpropyl) tetra-sulfane, commercially available as Si-69 from Degussa AG, Germany. Coupling agents such as Si-69 create a chemical linkage between the elastomer and the silica, thereby coupling the silica to the elastomer.

When the silica is chemically coupled to the elastomer, certain performance characteristics of the resulting elastomeric composition are enhanced. When incorporated into vehicle tires, such elastomeric compounds provide improved hysteresis balance. However, elastomer compounds containing silica as the primary reinforcing agent exhibit low thermal conductivity, high electrical resistivity, high density and poor processability.

When carbon black alone is used as a reinforcing agent in elastomeric compositions, it does not chemically couple to the elastomer but the carbon black surface provides many sites for interacting with the elastomer. While the use of a coupling agent with carbon black might provide some improvement in performance to an elastomeric composition, the improvement is not comparable to that obtained when using a coupling agent with silica.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel treated carbon black compositions in which carbon black, a silicon-containing compound, and a coupling agent are present prior to incorporation of the carbon black into a composition or article of manufacture.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide elastomeric compounds exhibiting improved hysteresis balance, which incorporate pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon blacks. Such carbon blacks may be employed for example, in tire compounds, industrial rubber products and other rubber goods. It is a further object of the present invention to provide pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black/elastomeric formulations using a variety of elastomers useful in a variety of product applications. Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a portion of one type of carbon black reactor which may be used to produce the treated carbon blacks of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graph demonstrating the results of a bound rubber test carried out on certain elastomeric compositions.

FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c are graphs demonstrating hysteresis values measured at different temperatures and strains on certain elastomeric compositions.

FIGS. 4a-4d are photomicrographs comparing carbon blacks useful in the present invention and prior art carbon blacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon blacks. Use of the term "pre-coupled" refers to the fact that the coupling agent is already associated with the carbon black when the carbon black is incorporated into a composition or article of manufacture. This is to be distinguished from the situation in which, for example, the coupling agent is incorporated into a composition or article of manufacture substantially contemporaneously with the silicon-treated carbon black.

The invention is further directed to a elastomeric compound including an elastomer and a pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black. A variety of elastomers and formulations employing such elastomers are contemplated and disclosed. The pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black imparts to the elastomer poorer abrasion resistance, lower hysteresis at high temperature, and comparable or increased hysteresis at low temperature compared to an untreated carbon black. It is further expected that elastomeric compounds incorporating the pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon blacks of the present invention will exhibit improved dispersion, lower viscosity, higher thermal and/or electrical resistivity, improved abrasion resistance, and/or improved hysteresis. Elastomeric compounds incorporating an elastomer and an oxidized, silicon-treated carbon black are also disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for preparing elastomeric compounds with the pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon blacks, and products manufactured from such compounds.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present inventors have discovered that elastomeric compounds having desirable hysteresis and other properties may be obtained by compounding an elastomer with a silicon-treated carbon black which has been combined with a coupling agent. In the silicon-treated carbon black a silicon-containing species, including but not limited to, oxides and carbides of silicon, may be distributed through at least a portion of the carbon black aggregate as an intrinsic part of the carbon black.

In an elastomeric compound including an elastomer and a pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black, the carbon black imparts to the elastomer poorer abrasion resistance, comparable or higher loss tangent at low temperature, and a lower loss tangent at high temperature, compared to an untreated carbon black.

Silicon-treated carbon black aggregates do not represent a mixture of discrete carbon black aggregates and discrete silica aggregates. Rather, the silicon-treated carbon black aggregates of the present invention include at least one silicon-containing region either at the surface of or within the carbon black aggregate.

An alternative way to describe the silicon-treated carbon black aggregate is an aggregate comprising a carbon phase and a silicon-containing species phase. The aggregate, thus contains at least two phases, one of which is carbon and the other of which is a silicon-containing species. The silicon-containing species that is part of the aggregate is not attached to a carbon black aggregate like a silica coupling agent, but actually is part of the same aggregate as the carbon phase. In the present invention, the aggregate or the silicon-treated carbon black is pre-coupled with a coupling agent prior to introducing the pre-coupled silicon-treated carbon black to (e.g. compounding with) an elastomer or another composition. The details of making the silicon-treated carbon black are further explained in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos.: 08/446,141, filed May 22, 1995; 08/446,142, filed May 22, 1995; 08/528,895, filed Sep. 15, 1995; and 08/750,017, filed Nov. 22, 1996, which is a National Phase Application of PCT No. WO 96/37547, filed May 21, 1996. All of these patents and applications are incorporated in their entireties herein by reference.

The amount of coupling agent pre-coupled with the silicon-treated carbon black is any amount traditionally used in elastomeric compositions. Preferably, from about 0.15 weight percent to about 20 weight percent of coupling agent is used, wherein the weight percent is based on the amount of silicon-treated carbon black.

When the silicon-treated carbon black is examined under STEM-EDX, the silicon signal corresponding to the silicon-containing species is found to be present in individual carbon black aggregates. By comparison, for example, in a physical mixture of silica and carbon black, STEM-EDX examination reveals distinctly separate silica and carbon black aggregates.

The silicon-treated carbon blacks may be obtained by manufacturing the carbon black in the presence of volatizable silicon-containing compounds. Such carbon blacks are preferably produced in a modular or "staged," furnace carbon black reactor as depicted in FIG. 1. The furnace carbon black reactor has a combustion zone 1, with a zone of converging diameter 2; a feedstock injection zone with restricted diameter 3; and a reaction zone 4.

To produce carbon blacks with the reactor described above, hot combustion gases are generated in combustion zone 1 by contacting a liquid or gaseous fuel with a suitable oxidant stream such as air, oxygen, or mixtures of air and oxygen. Among the fuels suitable for use in contacting the oxidant stream in combustion zone 1, to generate the hot combustion gases, are included any readily combustible gas, vapor or liquid streams such as natural gas, hydrogen, methane, acetylene, alcohols, or kerosene. It is generally preferred, however, to use fuels having a high content of carbon-containing components and in particular, hydrocarbons. The ratio of air to fuel varies with the type of fuel utilized. When natural gas is used to produce the carbon blacks of the present invention, the ratio of air to fuel may be from about 10:1 to about 1000:1. To facilitate the generation of hot combustion gases, the oxidant stream may be pre-heated.

The hot combustion gas stream flows downstream from zones 1 and 2 into zones 3 and 4. The direction of the flow of hot combustion gases is shown in FIG. 1 by the arrow. Carbon black feedstock, 6, is introduced at point 7 into the feedstock injection zone 3. The feedstock is injected into the gas stream through nozzles designed for optimal distribution of the oil in the gas stream. Such nozzles may be either single or bi-fluid. Bi-fluid nozzles may use steam or air to atomize the fuel. Single-fluid nozzles may be pressure atomized or the feedstock can be directly injected into the gas-stream. In the latter instance, atomization occurs by the force of the gas-stream.

Carbon blacks can be produced by the pyrolysis or partial combustion of any liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon. Preferred carbon black feedstocks include petroleum refinery sources such as decanted oils from catalytic cracking operations, as well as the by-products from coking operations and olefin manufacturing operations.

The mixture of carbon black-yielding feedstock and hot combustion gases flows downstream through zone 3 and 4. In the reaction zone portion of the reactor, the feedstock is pyrolyzed to carbon black. The reaction is arrested in the quench zone of the reactor. Quench 8 is located downstream of the reaction zone and sprays a quenching fluid, generally water, into the stream of newly formed carbon black particles. The quench serves to cool the carbon black particles and to reduce the temperature of the gaseous stream and decrease the reaction rate. Q is the distance from the beginning of reaction zone 4 to quench point 8, and will vary according to the position of the quench. Optionally, quenching may be staged, or take place at several points in the reactor.

After the carbon black is quenched, the cooled gases and carbon black pass downstream into any conventional cooling and separating means whereby the carbon black is recovered. The separation of the carbon black from the gas stream is readily accomplished by conventional means such as a precipitator, cyclone separator, bag filter or other means known to those skilled in the art. After the carbon black has been separated from the gas stream, it is optionally subjected to a pelletization step.

The silicon treated carbon blacks of the present invention may be made by introducing a volatilizable silicon containing compound into the carbon black reactor at a point upstream of the quench zone. Useful volatilizable compounds include any compound, which is volatilizable at carbon black reactor temperatures. Examples include, but are not limited to, silicates such as tetraethoxy orthosilicate (TEOS) and tetramethoxy orthosilicate, silanes such as, tetrachloro silane, and trichloro methylsilane; and volatile silicone polymers such as octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMTS). The flow rate of the volatilizable compound will determine the weight percent of silicon in the treated carbon black. The weight percent of silicon in the treated carbon black should range from about 0.1% to about 25%, and preferably about 0.5% to about 10%, and most preferably about 2% to about 6%. It has been found that injecting silicon containing compound into the carbon black reactor results in an increase in the structure (e.g., CDBP) of the product. This is desirable in many applications of carbon black.

The volatilizable compound may be premixed with the carbon black-forming feedstock and introduced with the feedstock into the reaction zone. Alternatively, the volatilizable compound may be introduced to the reaction zone separately from the feedstock injection point. Such introduction may be upstream or downstream from the feedstock injection point, provided the volatilizable compound is introduced upstream from the quench zone. For example, referring to FIG. 1, the volatilizable compound may be introduced to zone Q at point 12 or any other point in the zone. Upon volatilization and exposure to high temperatures in the reactor, the compound decomposes, and reacts with other species in the reaction zone, yielding silicon treated carbon black, such that the silicon, or silicon containing species, becomes an intrinsic part of the carbon black. An example of a silicon-containing species is silica. Besides volatilizable compounds, decomposable compounds which are not necessarily volatilizable can also be used to yield the silicon-treated carbon black.

As discussed in further detail below, if the volatilizable compound is introduced substantially simultaneously with the feedstock, the silicon-treated regions are distributed throughout at least a portion of the carbon black aggregate.

Alternatively, the volatilizable compound is introduced to the reaction zone at a point after carbon black formation has commenced but before the reaction stream has been subjected to the quench. In this embodiment, silicon-treated carbon black aggregates are obtained in which a silicon containing species is present primarily at or near the surface of the carbon black aggregate.

It has been found that a silicon-treated carbon black advantageously may be additionally compounded with one or more coupling agents to further enhance the properties of the elastomeric compound. Coupling agents, as used herein, include, but are not limited to, compounds that are capable of coupling fillers such as carbon black or silica to an elastomer. Coupling agents useful for coupling silica or carbon black to an elastomer, are expected to be useful with the silicon-treated carbon blacks. Useful coupling agents include, but are not limited to, silane coupling agents such as bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfane (Si-69), 3-thiocyanatopropyl-triethoxy silane (Si-264, from Degussa AG, Germany), g-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxy silane (A189, from Union Carbide Corp., Danbury, Conn.); zirconate coupling agents, such as zirconium dineoalkanolatodi(3-mercapto) propionato-O (NZ 66A, from Kenrich Petrochemicals, Inc., of Bayonne, N.J.); titanate coupling agents; nitro coupling agents such as N,N'-bis(2-methyl-2-nitropropyl)-1,6-diaminohexane (Sumifine 1162, from Sumitomo Chemical Co., Japan); and mixtures of any of the foregoing. The coupling agents may be provided as a mixture with a suitable carrier, for example X50-S which is a mixture of Si-69 and N330 carbon black, available from Degussa AG.

According to the present invention the coupling agent is attached, prior to mixing, onto the filler surface. The attachment can be made by various methods. In one method, the silicon-treated carbon black is dispersed in a solvent such as toluene, along with the coupling agent, for example, bis (3-triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfane (Si 69, available from Degussa A.G. , Germany), to form a slurry. The slurry temperature is then raised to higher than 70° C. and kept at that temperature for a period of time sufficient to complete the reaction. The silicon-treated carbon black, which is now pre-coupled, is then separated, for example using filtration or centrifuging, washed, and dried.

In another method, a water soluble coupling agent is premixed with the pelletizing water being injected into a conventional carbon black pelletizer. The black is preferably at greater than 70° C. temperature. The coupling agent reacts with the carbon black in the pelletizer.

In another method, silicon-treated carbon black is stored in a rotary drum. The coupling agent is sprayed onto the black at low temperature (preferably less than 70° C.). The drum is then heated to a high temperature, preferably 70-160° C., while rotating the drum, resulting in premodified silicon-treated carbon black. This may be done in an inert atmosphere, or in air.

The pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black incorporated in the elastomeric compound of the present invention may also be oxidized. Suitable oxidizing agents include, but are not limited to, nitric acid and ozone.

The silicon-treated carbon blacks of the present invention may have an organic group attached.

One process for attaching an organic group to the carbon black involves the reaction of at least one diazonium salt with a carbon black in the absence of an externally applied current sufficient to reduce the diazonium salt. That is, the reaction between the diazonium salt and the carbon black proceeds without an external source of electrons sufficient to reduce the diazonium salt. Mixtures of different diazonium salts may be used in the process of the invention. This process can be carried out under a variety of reaction conditions and in any type of reaction medium, including both protic and aprotic solvent systems or slurries.

In another process, at least one diazonium salt reacts with a carbon black in a protic reaction medium. Mixtures of different diazonium salts may be used in this process of the invention. This process can also be carried out under a variety of reaction conditions.

Preferably, in both processes, the diazonium salt is formed in situ. If desired, in either process, the carbon black product can be isolated and dried by means known in the art. Furthermore, the resultant carbon black product can be treated to remove impurities by known techniques. The various preferred embodiments of these processes are discussed below.

These processes can be carried out under a wide variety of conditions and in general are not limited by any particular condition. The reaction conditions must be such that the particular diazonium salt is sufficiently stable to allow it to react with the carbon black. Thus, the processes can be carried out under reaction conditions where the diazonium salt is short lived. The reaction between the diazonium salt and the carbon black occurs, for example, over a wide range of pH and temperature. The processes can be carried out at acidic, neutral, and basic pH. Preferably, the pH ranges from about 1 to 9. The reaction temperature may preferably range from 0° C. to 100° C.

Diazonium salts, as known in the art, may be formed for example by the reaction of primary amines with aqueous solutions of nitrous acid. A general discussion of diazonium salts and methods for their preparation is found in Morrison and Boyd, Organic Chemistry, 5th Ed., pp. 973-983, (Allyn and Bacon, Inc. 1987) and March, Advanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions, Mechanisms, and Structures, 4th Ed., (Wiley, 1992). According to this invention, a diazonium salt is an organic compound having one or more diazonium groups.

The diazonium salt may be prepared prior to reaction with the carbon black or, more preferably, generated in situ using techniques known in the art. In situ generation also allows the use of unstable diazonium salts such as alkyl diazonium salts and avoids unnecessary handling or manipulation of the diazonium salt. In particularly preferred processes, both the nitrous acid and the diazonium salt are generated in situ.

A diazonium salt, as is known in the art, may be generated by reacting a primary amine, a nitrite and an acid. The nitrite may be any metal nitrite, preferably lithium nitrite, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrite, or zinc nitrite, or any organic nitrite such as for example isoamylnitrite or ethylnitrite. The acid may be any acid, inorganic or organic, which is effective in the generation of the diazonium salt. Preferred acids include nitric acid, HNO₃, hydrochloric acid, HCl, and sulfuric acid, H₂ SO₄.

The diazonium salt may also be generated by reacting the primary amine with an aqueous solution of nitrogen dioxide. The aqueous solution of nitrogen dioxide, NO₂ /H₂ O, provides the nitrous acid needed to generate the diazonium salt.

Generating the diazonium salt in the presence of excess HCl may be less preferred than other alternatives because HCl is corrosive to stainless steel. Generation of the diazonium salt with NO₂ /H₂ O has the additional advantage of being less corrosive to stainless steel or other metals commonly used for reaction vessels. Generation using H₂ SO₄ /NaNO₂ or HNO₃ /NaNO₂ are also relatively non-corrosive.

In general, generating a diazonium salt from a primary amine, a nitrite, and an acid requires two equivalents of acid based on the amount of amine used. In an in situ process, the diazonium salt can be generated using one equivalent of the acid. When the primary amine contains a strong acid group, adding a separate acid may not be necessary. The acid group or groups of the primary amine can supply one or both of the needed equivalents of acid. When the primary amine contains a strong acid group, preferably either no additional acid or up to one equivalent of additional acid is added to a process of the invention to generate the diazonium salt in situ. A slight excess of additional acid may be used. One example of such a primary amine is para-aminobenzenesulfonic acid (sulfanilic acid).

In general, diazonium salts are thermally unstable. They are typically prepared in solution at low temperatures, such as 0-5° C., and used without isolation of the salt. Heating solutions of some diazonium salts may liberate nitrogen and form either the corresponding alcohols in acidic media or the organic free radicals in basic media.

However, the diazonium salt need only be sufficiently stable to allow reaction with the carbon black. Thus, the processes can be carried out with some diazonium salts otherwise considered to be unstable and subject to decomposition. Some decomposition processes may compete with the reaction between the carbon black and the diazonium salt and may reduce the total number of organic groups attached to the carbon black. Further, the reaction may be carried out at elevated temperatures where many diazonium salts may be susceptible to decomposition. Elevated temperatures may also advantageously increase the solubility of the diazonium salt in the reaction medium and improve its handling during the process. However, elevated temperatures may result in some loss of the diazonium salt due to other decomposition processes.

Reagents can be added to form the diazonium salt in situ, to a suspension of carbon black in the reaction medium, for example, water. Thus, a carbon black suspension to be used may already contain one or more reagents to generate the diazonium salt and the process accomplished by adding the remaining reagents.

Reactions to form a diazonium salt are compatible with a large variety of functional groups commonly found on organic compounds. Thus, only the availability of a diazonium salt for reaction with a carbon black limits the processes of the invention.

The processes can be carried out in any reaction medium which allows the reaction between the diazonium salt and the carbon black to proceed. Preferably, the reaction medium is a solvent-based system. The solvent may be a protic solvent, an aprotic solvent, or a mixture of solvents. Protic solvents are solvents, like water or methanol, containing a hydrogen attached to an oxygen or nitrogen and thus are sufficiently acidic to form hydrogen bonds. Aprotic solvents are solvents which do not contain an acidic hydrogen as defined above. Aprotic solvents include, for example, solvents such as hexanes, tetrahydrofuran (THF), acetonitrile, and benzonitrile. For a discussion of protic and aprotic solvents see Morrison and Boyd, Organic Chemistry, 5th Ed., pp. 228-231, (Allyn and Bacon, Inc. 1987).

The processes are preferably carried out in a protic reaction medium, that is, in a protic solvent alone or a mixture of solvents which contains at least one protic solvent. Preferred protic media include, but are not limited to water, aqueous media containing water and other solvents, alcohols, and any media containing an alcohol, or mixtures of such media.

The reaction between a diazonium salt and a carbon black can take place with any type of carbon black, for example, in fluffy or pelleted form. In one embodiment designed to reduce production costs, the reaction occurs during a process for forming carbon black pellets. For example, a carbon black product of the invention can be prepared in a dry drum by spraying a solution or slurry of a diazonium salt onto a carbon black. Alternatively, the carbon black product can be prepared by pelletizing a carbon black in the presence of a solvent system, such as water, containing the diazonium salt or the reagents to generate the diazonium salt in situ. Aqueous solvent systems are preferred. Accordingly, another embodiment provides a process for forming a pelletized carbon black comprising the steps of: introducing a carbon black and an aqueous slurry or solution of a diazonium salt into a pelletizer, reacting the diazonium salt with the carbon black to attach an organic group to the carbon black, and pelletizing the resulting carbon black having an attached organic group. The pelletized carbon black product may then be dried using conventional techniques.

In general, the processes produce inorganic by-products, such as salts. In some end uses, such as those discussed below, these by-products may be undesirable. Several possible ways to produce a carbon black product without unwanted inorganic by-products or salts are as follows:

First, the diazonium salt can be purified before use by removing the unwanted inorganic by-product using means known in the art. Second, the diazonium salt can be generated with the use of an organic nitrite as the diazotization agent yielding the corresponding alcohol rather than an inorganic salt. Third, when the diazonium salt is generated from an amine having an acid group and aqueous NO₂, no inorganic salts are formed. Other ways may be known to those of skill in the art.

In addition to the inorganic by-products, a process may also produce organic by-products. They can be removed, for example, by extraction with organic solvents. Other ways of obtaining products without unwanted organic by-products may be known to those of skill in the art and include washing or removal of ions by reverse osmosis.

The reaction between a diazonium salt and a carbon black forms a carbon black product having an organic group attached to the carbon black. The diazonium salt may contain the organic group to be attached to the carbon black. It may be possible to produce the carbon black products of this invention by other means known to those skilled in the art.

The organic group may be an aliphatic group, a cyclic organic group, or an organic compound having an aliphatic portion and a cyclic portion. As discussed above, the diazonium salt employed in the processes can be derived from a primary amine having one of these groups and being capable of forming, even transiently, a diazonium salt. The organic group may be substituted or unsubstituted, branched or unbranched. Aliphatic groups include, for example, groups derived from alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and carbohydrates. Cyclic organic groups include, but are not limited to, alicyclic hydrocarbon groups (for example, cycloalkyls, cycloalkenyls), heterocyclic hydrocarbon groups (for example, pyrrolidinyl, pyrrolinyl, piperidinyl, morpholinyl, and the like), aryl groups (for example, phenyl, naphthyl, anthracenyl, and the like), and heteroaryl groups (imidazolyl, pyrazolyl, pyridinyl, thienyl, thiazolyl, furyl, indolyl, and the like). As the steric hindrance of a substituted organic group increases, the number of organic groups attached to the carbon black from the reaction between the diazonium salt and the carbon black may be diminished.

When the organic group is substituted, it may contain any functional group compatible with the formation of a diazonium salt. Preferred functional groups include, but are not limited to, R, OR, COR, COOR, OCOR, carboxylate salts such as COOLi, COONa, COOK, COO⁻ NR₄ ⁺, halogen, CN, NR₂, SO₃ H, sulfonate salts such as SO₃ Li, SO₃ Na, SO₃ K, SO₃ ⁻ NR₄ ⁺, OSO₃ H, OSO₃ ⁻ salts, NR(COR), CONR₂, NO₂, PO₃ H₂, phosphonate salts such as PO₃ HNa and PO₃ Na₂, phosphate salts such as OPO₃ HNa and OPO₃ Na₂, N+NR, NR₃ ⁺ X⁻, PR₃ ⁺ X⁻, S_(k) R, SSO₃ H, SSO₃ ⁻ salts, SO₂ NRR', SO₂ SR, SNRR', SNQ, SO₂ NQ, CO₂ NQ, S-(1,4-piperazinediyl)-SR, 2-(1,3-dithianyl) 2-(1,3-dithiolanyl), SOR, and SO₂ R. R and R', which can be the same or different, are independently hydrogen, branched or unbranched C₁ -C₂₀ substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon, e.g., alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted alkylaryl, or substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl. The integer k ranges from 1-8 and preferably from 2-4. The anion X⁻ is a halide or an anion derived from a mineral or organic acid. Q is (CH₂)_(w), (CH₂)_(x) O(CH₂)_(z), (CH₂)_(x) NR(CH₂)_(z), or (CH₂)_(x) S(CH₂)_(z), where w is an integer from 2 to 6 and x and z are integers from 1 to 6.

A preferred organic group is an aromatic group of the formula A_(y) Ar--, which corresponds to a primary amine of the formula A_(y) ArNH₂. In this formula, the variables have the following meanings: Ar is an aromatic radical such as an aryl or heteroaryl group. Preferably, Ar is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, naphthyl, anthracenyl, phenanthrenyl, biphenyl, pyridinyl, benzothiadiazolyl, and benzothiazolyl; A is a substituent on the aromatic radical independently selected from a preferred functional group described above or A is a linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon radical (preferably containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms), unsubstituted or substituted with one or more of those functional groups; and y is an integer from 1 to the total number of --CH radicals in the aromatic radical. For instance, y is an integer from 1 to 5 when Ar is phenyl, 1 to 7 when Ar is naphthyl, 1 to 9 when Ar is anthracenyl, phenanthrenyl, or biphenyl, or 1 to 4 when Ar is pyridinyl. In the above formula, specific examples of R and R' are NH₂ --C₆ H₄ --, CH₂ CH₂ --C₆ H₄ --NH₂, CH₂ --C₆ H₄ --NH₂, and C₆ H₅.

Another preferred set of organic groups which may be attached to the carbon black are organic groups substituted with an ionic or an ionizable group as a functional group. An ionizable group is one which is capable of forming an ionic group in the medium of use. The ionic group may be an anionic group or a cationic group and the ionizable group may form an anion or a cation.

Ionizable functional groups forming anions include, for example, acidic groups or salts of acidic groups. The organic groups, therefore, include groups derived from organic acids. Preferably, when it contains an ionizable group forming an anion, such an organic group has a) an aromatic group and b) at least one acidic group having a pKa of less than 11, or at least one salt of an acidic group having a pKa of less than 11, or a mixture of at least one acidic group having a pKa of less than 11 and at least one salt of an acidic group having a pKa of less than 11. The pKa of the acidic group refers to the pKa of the organic group as a whole, not just the acidic substituent. More preferably, the pKa is less than 10 and most preferably less than 9. Preferably, the aromatic group of the organic group is directly attached to the carbon black. The aromatic group may be further substituted or unsubstituted, for example, with alkyl groups. More preferably, the organic group is a phenyl or a naphthyl group and the acidic group is a sulfonic acid group, a sulfinic acid group, a phosphonic acid group, or a carboxylic acid group. Examples of these acidic groups and their salts are discussed above. Most preferably, the organic group is a substituted or unsubstituted sulfophenyl group or a salt thereof; a substituted or unsubstituted (polysulfo)phenyl group or a salt thereof; a substituted or unsubstituted sulfonaphthyl group or a salt thereof, or a substituted or unsubstituted (polysulfo)naphthyl group or a salt thereof. A preferred substituted sulfophenyl group is hydroxysulfophenyl group or a salt thereof.

Specific organic groups having an ionizable functional group forming an anion (and their corresponding primary amines) are p-sulfophenyl (p-sulfanilic acid), 4-hydroxy-3-sulfophenyl (2-hydroxy-5-amino-benzenesulfonic acid), and 2-sulfoethyl (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid). Other organic groups having ionizable functional groups forming anions can also be used.

Amines represent examples of ionizable functional groups that form cationic groups. For example, amines may be protonated to form ammonium groups in acidic media. Preferably, an organic group having an amine substituent has a pKb of less than 5. Quaternary ammonium groups (--NR₃ ⁺) and quaternary phosphonium groups (--PR₃ ⁺) also represent examples of cationic groups. Preferably, the organic group contains an aromatic group such as a phenyl or a naphthyl group and a quaternary ammonium or a quaternary phosphonium group. The aromatic group is preferably directly attached to the carbon black. Quaternized cyclic amines, and even quatemized aromatic amines, can also be used as the organic group. Thus, N-substituted pyridinium compounds, such as N-methyl-pyridyl, can be used in this regard. Examples of organic groups include, but are not limited to, (C₅ H₄ N)C₂ H₅ ⁺, C₆ H₄ (NC₅ H₅)⁺, C₆ H₄ COCH₂ N(CH₃)₃ ⁺, C₆ H₄ COCH₂ (NC₅ H₅)⁺, (C₅ H₄ N)CH₃ ⁺, and C₆ H₄ CH₂ N(CH₃)₃ ⁺.

An advantage of the carbon black products having an attached organic group substituted with an ionic or an ionizable group is that the carbon black product may have increased water dispersibility relative to the corresponding untreated carbon black. Water dispersibility of a carbon black product increases with the number of organic groups attached to the carbon black having an ionizable group or the number of ionizable groups attached to a given organic group. Thus, increasing the number of ionizable groups associated with the carbon black product should increase its water dispersibility and permits control of the water dispersibility to a desired level. It can be noted that the water dispersibility of a carbon black product containing an amine as the organic group attached to the carbon black may be increased by acidifying the aqueous medium.

Because the water dispersibility of the carbon black products depends to some extent on charge stabilization, it is preferable that the ionic strength of the aqueous medium be less than 0.1 molar. More preferably, the ionic strength is less than 0.01 molar.

When such a water dispersible carbon black product is prepared, it is preferred that the ionic or ionizable groups be ionized in the reaction medium. The resulting product solution or slurry may be used as is or diluted prior to use. Alternatively, the carbon black product may be dried by techniques used for conventional carbon blacks. These techniques include, but are not limited to, drying in ovens and rotary kilns. Overdrying, however, may cause a loss in the degree of water dispersibility.

In addition to their water dispersibility, carbon black products having an organic group substituted with an ionic or an ionizable group may also be dispersible in polar organic solvents such as dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and formamide. In alcohols such as methanol or ethanol, use of complexing agents such as crown ethers increases the dispersibility of carbon black products having an organic group containing a metal salt of an acidic group.

Aromatic sulfides encompass another group of preferred organic groups. Carbon black products having aromatic sulfide groups are particularly useful in rubber compositions. These aromatic sulfides can be represented by the formulas Ar(CH₂)_(q) S_(k) (CH₂)_(r) Ar' or Ar(CH₂)_(q) S_(K) (CH₂)_(r) Ar" wherein Ar and Ar' are independently substituted or unsubstituted arylene or heteroarylene groups, Ar" is an aryl or heteroaryl group, k is 1 to 8 and q and r are 0-4. Substituted aryl groups would include substituted alkylaryl groups. Preferred arylene groups include phenylene groups, particularly p-phenylene groups, or benzothiazolylene groups. Preferred aryl groups include phenyl, naphthyl and benzothiazolyl. The number of sulfurs present, defined by k preferably ranges from 2 to 4. Preferred carbon black products are those having an attached aromatic sulfide organic group of the formula --(C₆ H₄)--S_(k) --(C₆ H₄)--, where k is an integer from 1 to 8, and more preferably where k ranges from 2 to 4. Particularly preferred aromatic sulfide groups are bis-para-(C₆ H₄)--S₂ --(C₆ H₄)-- and para-(C₆ H₄)--S₂ --(C₆ H₅). The diazonium salts of these aromatic sulfide groups may be conveniently prepared from their corresponding primary amines, H₂ N--Ar--S_(k) --Ar'--NH₂ or H₂ N--Ar--S_(k) --Ar". Preferred groups include dithiodi-4,1-phenylene, tetrathiodi-4,1-phenylene, phenyldithiophenylene, dithiodi-4,1-(3-chlorophenylene), -(4-C₆ H₄)--S--S-(2-C₇ H₄ NS), -(4-C₆ H₄)--S--S-(4-C₆ H₄)--OH, -6-(2-C₇ H₃ NS)--SH,-(4-C₆ H₄)--CH₂ CH₂ --S--S--CH₂ CH₂ -(4-C₆ H₄)--,-(4-C₆ H₄)--CH₂ CH₂ --S--S--S--CH₂ CH₂ -(4-C₆ H₄)--, -(2-C₆ H₄)--S--S--(2-C₆ H₄)- ,-(3-C₆ H₄)--S--S-(3-C₆ H₄)--,-6-(C₆ H₃ N₂ S),-6-(2-C₇ H₃ NS)--S--NRR' where RR' is --CH₂ CH₂ OCH₂ CH₂ --,-(4-C₆ H₄)--S--S--S--S-(4-C₆ H₄)--, -(4-C₆ H₄)--CH═CH₂, -(4-C₆ H₄)--S--SO₃ H, -(4-C₆ H₄)--SO₂ NH-(4-C₆ H₄)--S--S-(4-C₆ H₄)--NHSO₂ -(4-C₆ H₄)--, -6-(2-C₇ H₃ NS)--S--S-2-(6-C₇ H₃ NS)--, -(4-C₆ H₄)--S--CH₂ -(4-C₆ H₄)--, -(4-C₆ H₄)--SO₂ --S-(4-C₆ H₄)--, -(4-C₆ H₄)--CH₂ --S--CH₂ -(4-C₆ H₄)--, -(3-C₆ H₄)--CH₂ --S--CH₂ -(3-C₆ H₄)--, -(4-C₆ H₄)--CH₂ --S--S--CH₂ -(4-C₆ H₄)--, -(3-C₆ H₄)--CH₂ --S--S--CH₂ -(3-C₆ H₄)--, -(4-C₆ H₄)--S--NRR'where RR' is --CH₂ --OCH₂ CH₂ --, -(4-C₆ H₄)--SO₂ NH--CH₂ CH₂ --S--S--CH₂ CH₂ --NHSO₂ -(4-C₆ H₄)--, -(4-C₆ H₄)-2-(1,3-dithianyl;), and -(4-C₆ H₄)--S-(1,4-piperizinediyl)-S-(4-C₆ H₄)--.

Another preferred set of organic groups which may be attached to the carbon black are organic groups having an aminophenyl, such as (C₆ H₄)--NH₂, (C₆ H₄)--CH₂ --(C₆ H₄)--NH₂, (C₆ H₄)--SO₂ --(C₆ H₄)--NH₂. Preferred organic groups also include aromatic sulfides, represented by the formulas Ar--S_(n) --Ar' or Ar--S_(n) --Ar', wherein Ar and Ar' are independently arylene groups, Ar" is an aryl and n is 1 to 8. Methods for attaching such organic groups to carbon black are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,554,739 and 5,559,169; U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/356,660 and 08/572,525; and PCT Published Patent Application Nos. WO 96/18688 and WO 96/18696, all the disclosures of which are fully incorporated by reference herein.

As stated earlier, the pre-coupled silicon-treated carbon black may also be modified to have at least one organic group attached thereto. Alternatively, a mixture of silicon-treated carbon black and a modified carbon black having at least one attached organic group may be used, provided that at least one of the carbon blacks is pre-coupled.

Furthermore, it is within the bounds of this application to also use a mixture of silica and pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black. Also, any combination of additional components with the pre-coupled silicon-treated carbon black may be used, such as one or more of the following:

a) silicon-treated carbon black with an attached organic group optionally treated with silane coupling agents;

b) modified carbon black having an attached organic group;

c) silica;

d) modified silica, for example, having an attached organic group or an attached coupling group, and/or

e) carbon black;

f) carbon black at least partially coated with silica Examples of silica include, but are not limited to, silica, precipitated silica, amorphous silica, vitreous silica, fumed silica, fused silica, silicates (e.g., alumino silicates) and other Si containing fillers such as clay, talc, wollastonite, etc. Silicas are commercially available from such sources as Cabot Corporation under the Cab-O-Sil® tradename; PPG Industries under the Hi-Sil and Ceptane tradenames; Rhone-Poulenc under the Zeosil tradename; and Degussa AG under the Ultrasil and Coupsil tradenames.

The elastomeric compounds of the present invention may be prepared from the pre-coupled, treated carbon blacks by compounding with any elastomer, including those useful for compounding a carbon black.

Any suitable elastomer may be compounded with the pre-coupled, treated carbon blacks to provide the elastomeric compounds of the present invention. Such elastomers include, but are not limited to, rubbers, homo- or co-polymers of 1,3-butadiene, styrene, isoprene, isobutylene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene, acrylonitrile, ethylene, and propylene Preferably, the elastomer has a glass transition temperature (Tg) as measured by differential scanning colorimetry (DSC) ranging from about -120° C. to about 0° C. Examples include, but are not limited, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), natural rubber, polybutadiene, polyisoprene, and their oil-extended derivatives. Blends of any of the foregoing may also be used.

Among the rubbers suitable for use with the present invention are natural rubber and its derivatives such as chlorinated rubber. The pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black products of the invention may also be used with synthetic rubbers such as: copolymers of from about 10 to about 70 percent by weight of styrene and from about 90 to about 30 percent by weight of butadiene such as copolymer of 19 parts styrene and 81 parts butadiene, a copolymer of 30 parts styrene and 70 parts butadiene, a copolymer of 43 parts styrene and 57 parts butadiene and a copolymer of 50 parts styrene and 50 parts butadiene; polymers and copolymers of conjugated dienes such as polybutadiene, polyisoprene, polychloroprene, and the like, and copolymers of such conjugated dienes with an ethylenic group-containing monomer copolymerizable therewith such as styrene, methyl styrene, chlorostyrene, acrylonitrile, 2-vinyl-pyridine, 5-methyl 2-vinylpyridine, 5-ethyl-2-vinylpyridine, 2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine, alkyl-substituted acrylates, vinyl ketone, methyl isopropenyl ketone, methyl vinyl either, alphamethylene carboxylic acids and the esters and amides thereof such as acrylic acid and dialkylacrylic acid amide; also suitable for use herein are copolymers of ethylene and other high alpha olefins such as propylene, butene-1 and pentene-1.

The rubber compositions of the present invention can therefore contain an elastomer, curing agents, reinforcing filler, a coupling agent, and, optionally, various processing aids, oil extenders, and antidegradents. In addition to the examples mentioned above, the elastomer can be, but is not limited to, polymers (e.g., homopolymers, copolymers, and terpolymers) manufactured from 1,3 butadiene, styrene, isoprene, isobutylene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3 butadiene, acrylonitrile, ethylene, propylene, and the like. It is preferred that these elastomers have a glass transition point (Tg), as measured by DSC, between -120° C. and 0° C. Examples of such elastomers include poly(butadiene), poly(styrene-co-butadiene), and poly(isoprene).

Elastomeric compositions also include vulcanized compositions (VR), thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV), thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) and thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO). TPV, TPE, and TPO materials are further classified by their ability to be extruded and molded several times without loss of performance characteristics.

In making the elastomeric compositions, one or more curing agents such as, for example, sulfur, sulfur donors, activators, accelerators, peroxides, and other systems used to effect vulcanization of the elastomer composition may be used.

Formulations of the pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon blacks of the present invention with elastomers are contemplated to have advantages not realized when such elastomers are formulated with conventional carbon blacks. Set forth below in Table 1A is a list of certain of the elastomers which are particularly useful for industrial rubber applications; and preferred loading ratios with the pre-coupled, silicon-treated arbon blacks of the present invention, designated as parts of carbon black per hundred arts of elastomer (PHR); contemplated benefits obtained by such composition compared to the same composition employing a conventional carbon black; and useful industrial applications for each composition corresponding, where applicable, to the contemplated benefit obtained with such composition.

                                      TABLE 1A                                     __________________________________________________________________________                                              FIELD OF                                POLYMER LOADING BENEFITS UPON FORMING APPLICATION                            __________________________________________________________________________     Ethylene Propylene                                                                      50-250                                                                              PHR                                                                               INCREASED UHF HEATING RATES                                                                            WEATHERSTRIP                            Diene Monomer 100-200 PHR INCREASED TEAR STRENGTH WEATHERSTRIP                 (EPDM)   REDUCED IRIDESCENCE WEATHERSTRIP                                         IMPROVED HEAT AGING RESISTANCE HIGHER HOSE                                     ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY HOSE                                                    INCREASED ELONGATION @ GIVEN HARDNESS HOSE                                     LONGER FATIGUE LIFE ENGINE MOUNTS                                              LOWER SPRING RATIO FOR A GIVEN TAN δ ENGINE MOUNTS                       IMPROVED RESILIENCE ENGINE MOUNTS                                           Poly-Chloroprene 10-150 phr LOWER SPRING RATIO FOR A GIVEN TAN δ                                                ENGINE MOUNTS                           (NEOPRENE) 20-80 phr IMPROVED GLYCOL RESISTANCE SEALS                             IMPROVED RESILIENCE SEALS, HOSE                                                LOWER HEAT BUILD-UP BELTS                                                   Natural Rubber 10-150 phr LOWER SPRING RATIO FOR A GIVEN TAN δ                                                  ENGINE MOUNTS                           (NR) 20-80 phr HIGHER CUT/CHIP RESISTANCE BELTS                                Hydrogenated 10-150 phr LOWER SPRING RATIO FOR A GIVEN TAN δ                                                    ENGINE MOUNTS                           Nitrile Butadiene 20-80 phr INCREASED HIGH TEMP TEAR RESISTANCE MOUNTS,                                               SEALS                                   Rubber   IMPROVED RESILIENCE SEALS, HOSE                                       (HNBR)   LOWER HEAT BUILD-UP BELTS                                             Styrene Butadiene 10-150 phr HIGHER CUT/CHIP RESISTANCE BELTS                  Rubber                                                                         (SBR)                                                                          Ethylene Vinyl 10-150 phr IMPROVED PHYSICAL PROPERTIES HOSE                    Acetate                                                                        (EVA)                                                                        __________________________________________________________________________

It has been found that in certain tire usages, cut-chip resistance is a necessary property, especially with regard to trucks, for instance, traveling between pavements and dirt surfaces. In particular, after traveling on a pavement, the tires build up heat, which, upon entering a job site, can result in excess cutting and chipping of the tire on a rough terrain. It has been discovered that when the pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black of the present invention is incorporated into a tire tread compound (or other parts of the tire including sidewalls), the heat build-up of the tire tread characterized by tan δ (delta) at 70°, can be reduced, tear strength can be increased, and elongation properties can be increased, while maintaining acceptable tensile strength of the tread compound. With an improvement in these properties, the cut-chip resistance of the tread can improve substantially, resulting in a longer lasting, better performing tire tread.

In order to improve the above-described properties, thereby obtaining improved cut-chip resistance, the pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black of the present invention may be used in a blend with other fillers such as silica and carbon black.

The pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon blacks of the present invention can also be used in a wire breaker compound in tires. With the use of wire breaker compounds containing the pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon blacks, excellent adhesion can be obtained to the steel cord. Additionally, it is also possible to reduce heat buildup in this component of the tire.

The contemplated benefits obtained with the compositions set forth in Table IA are characterized by expected properties compared to the same composition made with conventional (non-silicon-treated) carbon black. Evaluation of these properties for a given silicon-treated carbon black/elastomer composition is done by conducting comparative tests. Most of the properties set forth in Table 1A are determined by routine tests known to those skilled in the art. Other tests are briefly described below:

Hardness refers to Shore A Hardness, which is determined according to the procedure set forth in ASTM D-2240-86.

Resilience may be determined according to the procedure set forth in ASTM D1054, utilizing a ZWICK Rebound Resilience Tester, Model 5109, manufactured by Zwick of America, Inc., Post Office Box 997, East Windsor, Conn. 06088.

The UHF microwave receptivity may be measured by a Dielecmetre (supplied by Total Elastomers in France). The UHF microwave receptivity is characterized by a coefficient, a, which is defined as

    a=(150° C.-80° C.)/(t.sub.150 -t.sub.80)[° C./s]

where t₁₅₀ and t₈₀ are the times needed for samples to reach 150° C. and 80° C. respectively, a is the heating rate between temperatures 80° and 150° C.

The electrical resistivity of the composition may be measured by painting samples 2 inches wide by 6 inches long by 0.085 inch thick with a half inch width of silver paint. The sample is then conditioned to produce a stable reading by cycling from room temperature to 100° C. and back to room temperature, followed by aging at 90° C. for 24 hours. The stabilized resistivity was measured at the end of the aging cycle, and once again after the sample was allowed to cool back to room temperature.

The resultant elastomeric compounds containing treated carbon black and optionally containing one or more coupling agents may be used for various elastomeric products such as treads for vehicle tires, industrial rubber products, seals, timing belts, power transmission belting, and other rubber goods. When utilized in tires, the elastomeric compounds may be used in the tread or in other components of the tire, for example, the carcass and sidewall.

Elastomeric compounds incorporating a silicon-treated carbon black and a coupling agent demonstrate further improved characteristics when tested for dynamic hysteresis at different temperatures and resistance to abrasion. Therefore, a tire incorporating a tread compound manufactured with an elastomeric compound of the present invention, incorporating both a silicon-treated carbon black and a coupling agent, will demonstrate even lower rolling resistance, good traction, and better wear resistance when compared with a tire made with a tread compound incorporating the treated carbon black but lacking the coupling agent.

The following examples illustrate the invention without limitation.

EXAMPLES Example 1

Silicon-treated carbon blacks according to the present invention were prepared using a pilot scale reactor generally as described above, and as depicted in FIG. 1 and having the dimensions set forth below: D₁ =4 inches, D₂ =2 inches, D₃ =5 inches, L₁ =4 inches, L₂ =5 inches, L₃ =7 inches, L₄ =1 foot and Q=4.5 feet. The reaction conditions set forth in Table 1 below, were employed.

These conditions result in the formation of a carbon black identified by the ASTM designation N234. A commercially available example of N234 is Vulcan® 7H from Cabot Corporation, Boston, Mass. These conditions were altered by adding a volatilizable silicon-containing compound into the reactor, to obtain a silicon-treated carbon black. The flow rate of the volatilizable compound was adjusted to alter the weight percent of silicon in the treated carbon black. The weight percent of silicon in the treated carbon black was determined by the ashing test, conducted according to ASTM procedure D-1506.

One such new treated carbon black was made by injecting an organo-silicon compound, namely octamethyl-cyclotetrasiloxane (OMTS), into the hydrocarbon feedstock. This compound is sold as "D4" by Dow Corning Corporation, Midland, Mich. The resultant silicon-treated carbon black is identified herein as OMTS-CB. A different silicon-treated carbon black (TEOS-CB) was prepared by introducing a second silicon-containing volatilizable compound, tetraethoxy silane, (sold as TEOS, by Huls America, Piscataway, N.J.), into the hydrocarbon feedstock.

Since changes in reactor temperature are known to alter the surface area of the carbon black, and reactor temperature is very sensitive to the total flow rate of the feedstock in the injection zone (zone 3 in FIG. 1), the feedstock flow rate was adjusted downward to approximately compensate for the introduction of the volatilizable silicon-containing compound, such that a constant reactor temperature was maintained. This results in an approximately constant external surface area (as measured by t area) for the resultant carbon blacks. All other conditions were maintained as necessary for manufacturing N234 carbon black. A structure control additive (potassium acetate solution) was injected into the feedstock to maintain the specification structure of the N234 carbon black. The flow rate of this additive was maintained constant in making the silicon-treated carbon blacks described throughout the following examples.

The external surface area (t-area) was measured following the sample preparation and measurement procedure described in ASTM D3037--Method A for Nitrogen surface area. For this measurement, the nitrogen adsorption isotherm was extended up to 0.55 relative pressure. The relative pressure is the pressure (P) divided by the saturation pressure (P₀) (the pressure at which the nitrogen condenses). The adsorption layer thickness (t₁) was then calculated using the relation: ##EQU1##

The volume (V) of nitrogen adsorbed was then plotted against t₁. A straight line was then fitted through the data points for t₁ values between 3.9 and 6.2 Angstroms. The t-area was then obtained from the slope of this line as follows:

    t-area, m.sup.2 /gm=15.47×slope

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         Carbon Black                                                                     Conditions      N234     TEOS-CB  OMTS-CB                                    ______________________________________                                         Air Rate, kscfh                                                                              12.8     12.8       12.8                                           Gas Rate, kscfh 0.94 0.94 0.94                                                 feedstock rate, lbs/hr 166 139 155                                             Si compound rate, lbs/hr 0 16 5                                              ______________________________________                                    

The resultant carbon blacks were analyzed for surface area and silicon content. These values are set forth in Table 2 below:

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         Carbon Black                                                                     Properties       N234     TEOS-CB OMTS-CB                                    ______________________________________                                         % Silicon in Carbon Black                                                                     0.02     2.85      2.08                                           DBP, cc/100 g 125.0 114.0 15.0                                                 CDBP, cc/100 g 101.5 104.1 103.5                                               t-Area, m.sup.2 /g 117.0 121.0 121.0                                           N.sub.2 area, m.sup.2 /g 120.4 136.0 133.0                                   ______________________________________                                    

Example 2

A scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) coupled to an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer, was used to further characterize the silicon-treated carbon black. The following Table 3 compares N234, OMTS-CB (prepared according to Example 1) and N234 to which 3.7% by weight silica (L90, sold as CAB-O-SIL® L90, by Cabot Corporation, Boston, Mass.) was added to form a mixture. As described below, the STEM system may be used to examine an individual aggregate of carbon black for elemental composition. A physical mixture of carbon black and silica will result in the identification of silica aggregates which show mostly silicon signal and little or background carbon signal. Thus, when multiple aggregates are examined in a mixture, some of the aggregates will show a high Si/C signal ratio, corresponding to aggregates of silica.

Five mg of carbon black was dispersed into 20 ml of chloroform and subjected to ultrasonic energy using a probe sonicator (W-385 Heat Systems Ultra Sonicator). A 2 ml aliquot was then dispersed into 15 ml of chloroform using a probe sonicator for three minutes. The resulting dispersion was placed on a 200 mesh nickel grid with aluminum substrate. The grid was then placed under a Fisons HB501 Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (Fisons, West Sussex, England) equipped with an Oxford Link AN10000 Energy Dispersive X-ray Analyzer (Oxford Link, Concord, Mass.).

Initially the grid was scanned for potential silica aggregates at low magnification (less than 200,000×). This was done by searching for aggregates that had a Si/C count ratio greater than unity. After this initial scan, typically thirty aggregates were selected for detailed analysis at higher magnification (from between 200,000× and 2,000,000×). The selected aggregates included all of the aggregates which contained Si/C count ratios greater than unity, as identified by the initial scan. The highest ratios of Si/C counts thus determined are set forth in Table 3 for N234, OMTS-CB and a mixture of N234 and silica.

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         Ratio of Si/C Signal Measured with STEM                                                      % Si in      Highest Ratio of Si/C                                 Modified Sample Counts per Aggregate                                         ______________________________________                                         N234          0            0.02                                                  OMTS-CB 3.28 0.27                                                              N234 + 3.7% silica (L90) 1.7 49                                              ______________________________________                                    

Thus, a well dispersed mixture of carbon black and silica having the same silicon content as the OMTS-CB shows 180 times higher peak Si/C counts. This data shows that the OMTS-CB carbon black is not a simple physical mixture of silica and carbon black, but rather that the silicon is a part of the intrinsic chemical nature of the carbon black.

Example 3

HF Treatment

Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is able to dissolve silicon compounds but does not react with carbon. Thus, if either a conventional (untreated) carbon black or a mixture of silica and carbon black is treated with HF, the surface and surface area of the carbon black will remain unchanged, because it is unaffected by the dissolution of the silicon compounds removed from the mixture. However, if silicon containing species are distributed throughout at least a portion, including the surface, of the carbon black aggregate, the surface area will markedly increase as micropores are formed as the silicon compound is dissolved out of the carbon black structure.

Five grams of the carbon black to be tested were extracted with 100 ml of 10% v/v hydrofluoric acid for 1 hour. The silicon content and nitrogen surface area were measured before and after the HF treatment. The results are shown in Table 4.

                  TABLE 4                                                          ______________________________________                                         HF Treatment                                                                            % Si      % Si      N.sub.2 SA                                                                             N.sub.2 SA                                  Before HF After HF Before HF After HF                                          Treatment Treatment Treatment Treatment                                      ______________________________________                                         N234     0.02      0.05      123     123                                         OMTS-CB 3.3 0.3 138 180                                                      ______________________________________                                    

Photomicrographs were taken of the carbon black samples before and after HF treatment. The photomicrographs are shown in FIGS. 4a-4d. These photographs show that the silicon-treated carbon blacks have a rougher surface, consistent with increased microporosity after the HF treatment, compared to the untreated carbon black.

Example 3A

Another silicon-treated carbon black was made by injecting TEOS into the reaction zone of the reactor immediately (one foot) downstream from the hydrocarbon feedstock injection plane, as indicated at injection point 12 in FIG. 1. All other reaction conditions were maintained as required for manufacturing N234 black, as described in Example 1. The TEOS flow rate was adjusted to 17.6 lbs per hour.

The resultant black was analyzed for silicon content and surface area, before and after HF extraction as described in Example 3. The results are described in Table 4A.

                  TABLE 4A                                                         ______________________________________                                         manufactured by injection of TEOS into reaction zone                                         % Si N.sub.2 Area                                                ______________________________________                                         Before HF       2.27   127.7                                                     After HF 0.04 125.8                                                          ______________________________________                                    

Thus, no increase in N₂ surface area was seen after HF extraction of the TEOS-CB'. Analysis of the aggregates by the STEM procedure described in Example 2 also showed silicon to be present in the aggregates and not as independent silica entities. These results show that in this case the silicon-containing species of the silicon-treated carbon blacks are primarily located near the surface.

Example 4

Preparation of Elastomeric Compositions

The carbon blacks of the previous Examples may be used to make elastomeric compounds. Elastomeric compositions incorporating the silicon-treated carbon blacks discussed above, are prepared using the following elastomers: solution SBR (Duradene 715 and Cariflex S-1215, from Firestone Synthetic Rubber & Latex Co., Akron, Ohio), functionalized solution SBR (NS 114 and NS 116 from Nippon Zeon Co., SL 574 and TO0589 from Japan Synthetic Rubber Co.), emulsion SBR (SBR 1500, from Copolymer Rubber & Chemicals, Corp., Baton Rouge, La.), and natural rubber (SMR5, from Malaysia).

The elastomeric compositions were prepared according to the following rmulation:

                  TABLE 5                                                          ______________________________________                                         Ingredient     Parts by weight                                                 ______________________________________                                         elastomer      100                                                               carbon black 50                                                                zinc oxide 3                                                                   stearic acid 2                                                                 Flexzone 7P ® 1                                                            Durax ® 1.25                                                               Captax ® 0.2                                                               sulfur 1.75                                                                    Si-69 3 or 4                                                                 ______________________________________                                    

Flexzone 7P®, N-(1,3-dimethyl butyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylene diamine, is an antioxidant available from Uniroyal Chemical Co., Middlebury, Conn. Durax®, N-cyclohexane-2-benzothiazole sulphenamide, is an accelerator available from R.T. Vanderbilt Co., of Norwalk, Conn., and Captax®, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, is an accelerator available from R.T. Vanderbilt Co.

The elastomeric compounds are prepared using a two-stage mixing procedure. The internal mixer used for preparing the compounds is a Plasti-Corder EPL-V (obtained from C. W. Brabender, South Hackensack, N.J.) equipped with a cam-type mixing head (capacity 600 ml). In the first stage, the mixer is set at 80° C., and the rotor speed is set at 60 rpm. After the mixer is conditioned to 100° C. by heating the chamber with a dummy mixture, the elastomer is loaded and masticated for 1 minute. Carbon black, pre-coupled with Si-69 and pre-blended with zinc oxide (obtained from New Jersey Zinc Co., New Jersey), is then added. After three minutes, stearic acid (obtained from Emery Chemicals, Cincinnati, Ohio) and anti-oxidant are added. Mixing is continued for an additional two minutes. The stage 1 masterbatch is then dumped from the mixer at five minutes total. This is then passed through an open mill (four inch, two-roll mill, obtained from C. W. Brabender, South Hackensack, N.J.) three times and stored at room temperature for two hours.

In the second stage, the mixing chamber temperature is set to 80° C. and the rotor speed is set to 35 rpm. After the mixer is conditioned the masterbatch from stage one is loaded and mixed for one minute. The curative package (including sulfur, Durax and Captax) is then added. The material is dumped from the mixer at two minutes and passed through the open mill three times.

Batches of the compounds are prepared as described for the carbon blacks in the previous Examples. The same grade of conventional carbon black is used as a further control. For each carbon black, two batches are prepared. The first batch is made using Si-69 as the coupling agent. The second batch is made without a coupling agent. After mixing, each of the elastomeric compositions is cured at 145° C. to an optimum cure state according to measurements made with a Monsanto ODR Rheometer.

Elastomeric compounds employing the elastomers set forth in Table 1A may be formulated by following the foregoing procedure.

Example 5

Bound Rubber Test

The bound rubber content of an elastomeric compound incorporating carbon black can be taken as a measure of the surface activity of the carbon black. The higher the bound rubber content, the higher the surface activity of the carbon black.

Bound rubber is determined by extraction of an elastomeric compound with toluene at room temperature. The bound rubber is the elastomer remaining after extraction by the solvent. The elastomer used is solution SBR (SSBR) Duradene 715 without a coupling agent, as described above in Example 4.

As seen in FIG. 2, the bound rubber was determined for a series of blends of silica and carbon black, which serve as a reference against which to compare the bound rubber of the pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black. The results of the bound rubber measurements for the two sets of compounds are plotted against their equivalent silica content in FIG. 2. For the pre-coupled, treated carbon blacks, the equivalent silica content is a theoretical value calculated from the total silicon as measured by ashing. It is seen that pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon blacks yield a higher bound rubber than their conventional counterparts. This suggests that the treated carbon black surface is relatively more active. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, the bound rubber content of treated carbon black-filled compounds lie well above the reference line generated from the blends of carbon black and silica. This confirms that the treated carbon black is not a physical mixture of silica and carbon black.

Example 6

Dynamic Hysteresis and Abrasion Resistance

The dynamic hysteresis and abrasion resistance rates were measured for the elastomeric compositions produced according to Example 4 above.

Abrasion resistance was determined using an abrader, which is based on a Lambourn-type machine as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,197, hereby incorporated by reference. The tests were carried out at 14% slip. The percentage slip is determined based on the relative velocities of a sample wheel and a grindstone wheel. The abrasion resistance index is calculated from the mass loss of the elastomeric compound. Dynamic properties were determined using a Rheometrics Dynamic Spectrometer II (RDS II, Rheometrics, Inc., N.J.) with strain sweep. The measurements were made at 0 and 70° C. with strain sweeps over a range of double strain amplitude (DSA) from 0.2 to 120%. The maximum tan δ values on the strain sweep curves were taken for comparing the hysteresis among elastomeric compounds as can be seen in FIGS. 3a and 3b. Alternatively, hysteresis measurements were made by means of temperature sweeps at a DSA of 5% and a frequency of 10 Hz. The temperature range was from -60° C. to 100° C., as seen in FIG. 3c.

                  TABLE 6                                                          ______________________________________                                         Dynamic Hysteresis Data                                                                                tan δ                                                                           tan δ                                                                            abrasion at                               SSBR Composition.sup.a Si-69 at 0° C. at 70° C. 14%            ______________________________________                                                                                slip                                    N234        0       0.400    0.189   100                                         N234 3 0.429 0.170 103.5                                                       OMTS-CB 0 0.391 0.175 84.4                                                     OMTS-CB 3 0.435 0.152 110.5                                                    TEOS-CB 0 0.400 0.167 78.1                                                     TEOS-CB 3 0.433 0.142 97.2                                                   ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Duradene 715; two stage mixing.                                   

As seen in Table 6 above, tan δ at 70° C. values were reduced by 7%, tan δ at 0° C. values reduced by 2.3% and the wear resistance was reduced by 15%, for the SSBR samples when OMTS-CB was substituted for N234. However, when the Si-69 coupling agent was incorporated into the composition, the wear resistance for the OMTS-CB sample improved to 110% of the value for N234. The tan δ at 70° C. values decreased by 19.6% compared to N234 without coupling agent and 10.5% compared to N234 with coupling agent. The tan δ at 0° C. values increased by 11% when the coupling agent was added to the OMTS-CB, compared to OMTS-CB without coupling agent. Similarly, for TEOS-CB, the tan δ at 70° C. value is reduced by 11.6%, the tan δ at 0° C. value is unchanged and the wear is reduced by 21.9%. When compounded with the coupling agent, the tan δ at 70° C. value is reduced by 24.9%, the tan δ at 0° C. value is increased by 8.3% and the wear decreased by only 2.8%.

It was determined that employing silicon-treated carbon blacks and an elastomer in an elastomeric composition generally resulted in poor abrasion resistance, compared to an elastomeric composition including the same elastomer and N234 carbon black. However, as seen in Table 6, when Si-69 coupling agent was incorporated into the composition, abrasion resistance returned to approximately the same values as obtained with untreated carbon black.

As used herein, "untreated carbon black" means a carbon black prepared by a process similar to that used to prepare the corresponding treated black, but without the volatizable silicon compound and by making suitable adjustments to the process conditions to achieve a carbon black with an external surface area approximately equal to that of the treated black.

Example 6A

The dynamic hysteresis and abrasion properties of a black made by following the procedure of Example 3A (and containing 1.91% Si) were measured as in Example 6. As seen in Table 6A below, tan δ at 70° C. values were reduced by 14%, tan δ at 0° C. values were reduced by 6% and the wear resistance was reduced by 22%, for the SSBR samples when TEOS-CB was substituted for N234. However, when Si69 coupling agent was incorporated into the composition, the wear resistance for the TEOS-CB sample improved to 108% of the value for N234. The tan δ at 70° C. values decreased by 18% compared to N234 without coupling agent and 7% compared to N234 with coupling agent. The tan δ at 0° C. values decreased by only 1.5% when the coupling agent was added to TEOS-CB, compared to N234 with coupling agent.

                  TABLE 6A                                                         ______________________________________                                         Dynamic Hysteresis Data                                                          SSBR                         tan δ @                                                                         Abrasion                                   Composition.sup.a Si 69 tan δ @ 0° C. 70° C. @ 14%                                             Slip                                     ______________________________________                                         N234       0      0.400      0.184  100                                          N234 4 0.394 0.162  94                                                         TEOS-CB 0 0.402 0.158  78                                                      TEOS-CB 4 0.388 0.151 108                                                    ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Cariflex S1215; two stage mixing                                  

Example 7

Improvement in Hysteresis by Three Stage Compounding

The beneficial properties obtained using the pre-coupled, treated carbon blacks with the elastomeric compounds of the present invention may be further enhanced by using an additional mixing stage during the compounding process. The procedure for two stage mixing used in the previous compounding examples, is described above in Example 4.

For three stage mixing, the stage 1 mixer is set at 80° C. and 60 rpm. After conditioning to 100° C. by heating the chamber with a dummy mixture, the elastomer is introduced to the mixer at 100° C. and masticated for one minute. The pre-coupled carbon black is added to the elastomer and mixing continues for an additional three minutes. The stage 1 masterbatch is then dumped and passed through an open mill three times and stored at room temperature for 2 hours. The second stage chamber temperature is also set at 80° C. and 60 rpm. After conditioning to 100° C., the masterbatch is introduced to the mixer, masticated for one minute, and the antioxidant is then added. At four minutes or when a temperature of 160° C. is reached, the stage 2 masterbatch is dumped and passed through the open mill 3 times and stored at room temperature for 2 hours. The third stage chamber temperature is set at 80° C. and 35 rpm. The masterbatch from stage 2 is then added to the mixer and masticated for 1 minute. The curing package is then added and the stage 3 material is dumped at 2 minutes and passed through an open mill 3 times.

Table 7 below compares hysteresis and abrasion characteristics for elastomers compounded with TEOS-CB using two and three stage mixing. As can be seen from the Table, three stage mixing results in higher tan δ at 0° C. and lower tan δ at 70° C. Elastomeric compounds employing the elastomer set forth in Table 1A may be formulated by following the foregoing procedure.

                  TABLE 7                                                          ______________________________________                                         Dynamic Hysteresis Data - 2 Stage v. 3 Stage Mixing                                                    tan δ                                                                           tan δ                                                                            abrasion at                               Carbon Black Si-69 at 0° C. at 70° C. 14% slip                 ______________________________________                                         Duradene 715                                                                     Two Stage Mixing                                                               N234 0 0.458 0.189 100                                                         N234 3 0.439 0.170 103.5                                                       TEOS-CB 0 0.434 0.150 78.1                                                     TEOS-CB 3 0.436 0.131 97.2                                                     Duradene 715                                                                   Three Stage Mixing                                                             N234 0 0.471 0.165 100                                                         N234 3 0.456 0.146 98.4                                                        TEOS-CB 0 0.446 0.139 57.6                                                     TEOS-CB 3 0.461 0.113 101.8                                                  ______________________________________                                    

Example 8

Oxidized Carbon Black

In another aspect of the present invention, it was determined by the present inventors that oxidation of the pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black can lead to elastomeric compositions with enhanced hysteresis. For a black made using the conditions of Table 1, but with OMTS as the volatilizable silicon-containing compound, and 2.74% silicon in the final black, the improvement obtained with oxidation is illustrated in the following Table.

The oxidized carbon black is prepared by treating the black with nitric acid. A small stainless steel drum is loaded with carbon black and rotated. During rotation a 65% nitric acid solution is sprayed onto the carbon black, until 15 parts per hundred carbon black have been added. After a soak period of 5 minutes, the drum is heated to about 80° C. to initiate the oxidation reaction. During the oxidation reaction, the temperature increases to about 100-120° C. This temperature is held until the reaction is completed. The treated black is then heated to 200° C. to remove residual acid. The treated black is then dried overnight at 115° C. in a vacuum oven. Table 8 below compares hysteresis characteristics for elastomers compounded with OMTS-CB and oxidized OMTS-CB, with and without a coupling agent. Additional elastomeric compounds employing the elastomers set forth in Table 1A may be formulated by following the foregoing procedure.

                  TABLE 8                                                          ______________________________________                                         Dynamic Hysteresis Data - oxidized, treated carbon black                           Carbon Black            tan δ                                                                          tan δ                                    Duradene 715 - 2 stage Si-69 at 0° C. at 70° C.                ______________________________________                                         N234          0         0.513   0.186                                            N234 3 0.463 0.176                                                             OMTS-CB 0 0.501 0.166                                                          OMTS-CB 3 0.467 0.135                                                          oxidized OMTS-CB 0 0.487 0.154                                                 oxidized OMTS-CB 3 0.467 0.133                                               ______________________________________                                    

Example 9

Hysteresis and Abrasion Resistance for a Variety of Elastomers

Hysteresis and abrasion resistance was compared for elastomeric compounds prepared with treated carbon blacks compounded with different elastomers, compounded with and without a coupling agent. Conventional carbon black was used as a further control. The results are set forth in the Table 9 below. These data show hysteresis improvement for all five elastomer systems tested.

It can also be seen that in all cases abrasion resistance for the treated carbon black compound compared to the untreated control decreases when no coupling agent is used. Abrasion resistance is substantially improved when the coupling agent is used.

                  TABLE 9                                                          ______________________________________                                         Hysteresis and Abrasion Resistance - 3 Stage Mixing                                                    tan δ                                                                           tan δ                                                                            wear at                                   Carbon Black Si-69 at 0° C. at 70° C. 14% slip                 ______________________________________                                         Solution SBR 116/NS                                                              114 -80/20 blend                                                               N234 0 0.689 0.151 100.0                                                       N234 3 0.750 0.131 123.1                                                       TEOS-CB 0 0.721 0.115 86.3                                                     TEOS-CB 3 0.751 0.094 115.4                                                    Solution SBR SL 574                                                            N234 0 0.286 0.118 100.0                                                       N234 3 0.260 0.108 96.4                                                        TEOS-CB 0 0.246 0.101 58.0                                                     TEOS-CB 3 0.258 0.093 86.8                                                     Solution SBR PAT589                                                            N234 0 0.676 0.190 100.0                                                       N234 3 0.686 0.182 99.1                                                        TEOS-CB 0 0.698 0.170 82.4                                                     TEOS-CB 3 0.726 0.150 134.2                                                    Emulsion SBR 1500                                                              N234 0 0.299 0.176 100.0                                                       N234 3 0.285 0.137 87.9                                                        TEOS-CB 0 0.280 0.156 60.1                                                     TEOS-CB 3 0.270 0.121 88.1                                                     Natural Rubber SMR 5                                                           N234 0 0.253 0.128 100.0                                                       N234 3 0.202 0.088 85.8                                                        TEOS-CB 0 0.190 0.079 60.9                                                     TEOS-CB 3 0.173 0.069 88.6                                                   ______________________________________                                    

Example 10

Attachment of Organic Groups

OMTS-CB is made as described in Example 1, but having the following properties.

                  TABLE 10                                                         ______________________________________                                         % Silicon in Carbon Black                                                                         4.7                                                           DBP, cc/100 g 103.2                                                            CDBP, cc/100 g 101.1                                                           t-Area, m.sup.2 /g 123                                                         N.sub.2 Area, m.sup.2 /g 164.7                                               ______________________________________                                    

The carbon black is treated with 0.15 mmol of 4-aminodiphenyldisulfide (APDS) per gram of black to attach an organic group based on the preferred procedure described earlier. The OMTS-CB is then compounded according to the following formulation.

                  TABLE 11                                                         ______________________________________                                                            Parts by                                                      Ingredient Weight                                                            ______________________________________                                         Elastomer (Duradene 715)                                                                          75                                                            Elastomer (Tacktene 1203) 25                                                   Carbon Black 75                                                                Si-69 4.5                                                                      Oil (Sundex 8125) 25                                                           Zinc Oxide 3.5                                                                 Stearic Acid 2                                                                 Flexzone 7P ® 1.5                                                          Sunproof Improved 1.5                                                          Durax ® 1.5                                                                Vanax DPG 1                                                                    TMTD 0.4                                                                       Sulfur 1.4                                                                   ______________________________________                                    

Tacktene 1203 is an elastomer obtained from Polysar Rubber Corporation, Canada. Vanax DPG and tetramethyl thiuran disulfide (TMTD) are accelerators obtained from R.T. Vanderbilt Co., Norwalk, Conn., and Akrochem Co., Akron, Ohio, respectively.

The mixing procedure described in Example 7 is used. The oil is added in the first mixing stage. The performance of the compounds is described in Table 12.

                  TABLE 12                                                         ______________________________________                                                   tan δ @                                                                           tan δ @                                                                           Abrasion @                                           0° C. 70° C. 14% Slip                                          ______________________________________                                         OMTS-CB     0.385      0.158    100                                              OMTS-CB APDS 0.307 0.108  69                                                 ______________________________________                                    

As shown in Table 12, attaching APDS to OMTS-CB would be expected to result in a 31% result a 31% reduction in tan δ @ 70° C. with a 20% reduction in tan δ @ 0° C.

Example 11

                  TABLE 13                                                         ______________________________________                                                        A          B      C                                             ______________________________________                                           Carbon Black                                                                   Silicon Content (5%) 0 2.1 4.0                                                 N.sub.2 SA t-area (m.sup.2 /g) 54 52 54                                        DBPA (ml/100 g) 71 68 70                                                       Physical Properties                                                            Recipe 1 2 3                                                                   Hardness (Shore A) 66 65 66                                                    Tensile (MPa) 15.5 17.8 19.4                                                   Elongation (%) 276 271 300                                                     Tear, Die C (kN/m) 23.6 24.2 25.4                                            ______________________________________                                            D E F                                                                       ______________________________________                                           Carbon Black                                                                   Silicon Content (%) 0 1.6 4.1                                                  N.sub.2 SA t-Area (m.sup.2 /g) 54 51 52                                        DBPA (ml/100 g) 105 98 102                                                     Physical Properties                                                            Recipe 1 2 3                                                                   Hardness (Shore A) 64 68 66                                                    Tensile (MPa) 16.2 19.4 18.6                                                   Elongation (%) 255 265 276                                                     Tear, Die C (kN/m) 22.9 24.3 26.3                                            ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 14                                                         ______________________________________                                         RECIPES                                                                            Ingredient (Parts by Weight)                                                                      1        2    3                                         ______________________________________                                         Royalene 509 EPDM  100      100    100                                           AZO-66 Zinc Oxide 4 4 4                                                        Hystrene Stearic Acid 1 I 1                                                    Carbon Black 60 60 60                                                          Sunpar 2280 Paraffinic Oil 25 25 25                                            Rubbermakers Sulfur 2.5 2.S 2.5                                                Methyl Tuads 1 1                                                               Rhenogram MBT-75 (75% active) 2 2 2                                            Si-69 Polysulfidic Silane 0 1.2 2.4                                            TOTALS 195.5 196.7 197.9                                                     ______________________________________                                    

    ______________________________________                                         SUPPLIERS OF INGREDIENTS:                                                      ______________________________________                                         Royalene 509 EPDM Uniroyal Chemical Co., CT                                      AZO-66 Zinc Oxide Asarco, Inc., OH                                             Hystrene Stearic Acid Humko Chemical Co., TN                                   Sunpar 2280 Paraffinic Oil Sun Refining and Marketing, PA                      Rubbermakers Sulfur R. E. Carroll, NJ                                          Methyl Tuads R. T. Vanderbilt, CT                                              Rhenogram MBT-75 (75% active) Rhein-Chemie Corp., NJ                           Si-69 Polysulfidic Silane Struktol, OH                                       ______________________________________                                    

Example 12

Two silicon-treated carbon blacks were made as described above in Example 1. The properties of the silicon-treated carbon blacks are described in Table 15. The silicon-treated carbon blacks were then pre-coupled or pre-modified according to the procedure described in Table 16. The pre-coupled silicon-treated carbon black and the silicon-treated carbon black coupled at a later time were then compounded in separate tests using the formulation and mixing procedure described in Tables 17 and 18. The properties of the compound including the pre-coupled silicon-treated carbon blacks were then compared against conventional carbon black and silicon-treated carbon black with the coupling agent added in the conventional manner. The results are set forth in Table 19. It is seen that the pre-coupling results in a 11% decrease in tan δ at 70° C. with no loss in abrasion resistance and only a 5% decrease in tan δ at 0° C. for OMTS-CB-A compared to regular addition of the coupling agent. Similar results are seen with OMTS-CB-B.

                  TABLE 15                                                         ______________________________________                                         Analytical Properties of the Fillers Used for Tread Compounds                                Si     DBP,    CDBP,    Surface area,                              Filler % mL/100 g mL/ 100 g t-area, m.sup.2 /g                               ______________________________________                                         N234      0      125.8     100.7    119.0                                        OMTS-CB-A 5.4 109.2 105.6 132.8                                                OMTS-CB-B 8.8 114.0 105.0 150.0                                              ______________________________________                                    

Table 16. Preparation of Pre-Coupled Carbon Black or Silicon-Treated Carbon Black

1) 800 grams silicon-treated carbon black was added to a pelletizer for carbon black and then an amount of coupling agent (in this case, Si 69) was slowly poured in through the large opening on top of the pelletizer while the pins were manually rotated.

2) The material was then mixed @ 800 RPM for 2 minute intervals. Between the intervals the pelletizer was stopped, opened, and inspected for regions of high Si69 silicon-treated carbon black concentrations on the sides of the pelletizer. These regions were loosened via a spatula to facilitate better mixing and the mixing continued.

3) Generally, each run lasted about 6-8 minutes with 2-3 repetitions of the cake incorporation procedure.

4) To couple the coupling agent to the surface of the silicon-treated carbon black, the silicon-treated carbon black was then removed and placed in a preheated oven at about 140° C. for 1 hour.

                  TABLE 17                                                         ______________________________________                                         Formulation                                                                                            OMTS-CB (Parts by                                        N234 wt.)                                                                    ______________________________________                                         SSBR (Duradene 715)                                                                             75     75                                                       BR (Tacktene 1203) 25   25                                                     N234 80   --                                                                   OMTS-CB --   80 or 90                                                          Si 69 -- 4                                                                     Oil (Sundex 8125) 32.5  32.5 or 40                                             Zinc Oxide 3.5 3.5                                                             Stearic Acid 2   2                                                             Antioxidant (Flexzone 7P) 1.5 1.5                                              Wax (Sunproof Improved) 1.5 1.5                                                Durax ® 15   1.5                                                           Vanax ® DPG.sup.a -- 1                                                     TMTD.sup.b 0.4 0.4                                                             Sulfur 1.4 1.4                                                               ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Accelerator, diphenyl guanidine.                                        .sup.b Accelerator, tetramethyl thiuram disulfide.                       

                  TABLE 18                                                         ______________________________________                                         Mixing Procedure for Tread Compounds of Passenger Tire                         ______________________________________                                         Stage 1 (minutes)                                                                        Brabender Plastic-corder EPL-V.                                         60 rpm, 80° C., air on, start all mixes @ 100° C.                        0' Add polymer                                                        1' Add filler, coupling agents (Preblended)                                    @ 160° C. Add oil.                                                      7' @ 165° C. Dump.                                                       Pass through open mill 3 times.                                                Sit at room temperature for at least 2 hrs.                                   Stage 2 60 rpm, 80° C., air on, start all mixes @ 100° C.        0' Add masterbatch from stage 1.                                               1' Add ZnO, stearic acid.                                                      3' Add Flexzone 7P and Wax.                                                    4', @ 165° C. Dump.                                                      Pass through open mill 3 times.                                                Sit at room temperature for at least 2 hrs.                                   Stage 3 35 rpm, 80° C., air on, start all mixes @ 100° C.        0' Add master batch from stage 2.                                              1' Add curatives.                                                              2' Dump.                                                                        Pass through open mill 3 times.                                             ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 19                                                         ______________________________________                                         Physical Properties of Vulcanizates                                                                  Filler                                                       load-    Wear at                                                              Si 69 ing Oil tan δ  tan δ 14%                                    Carbon Black (phr) (phr) (phr) at 0° C. at 70° C.              ______________________________________                                                                                      slip                              N234 (CSL)                                                                              0        80     32.5 0.489 0.270  100                                   OMTS-CB-A 4 80 32.5 0.399 0.168  99                                            OMTS-CB-A 4, 80 32.5 0.378 0.149 101                                            pre-                                                                           modified                                                                      OMTS-CB-B 4 90 40.0 0.425 0.170  95                                            OMTS-CB-B 4, 90 40.0 0.404 0.146 114                                            pre-                                                                           modified                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

As seen from the above EPDM examples, the use of pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon black substantially improves tensile, elongation, and tear strength at comparable hardness levels. These improvements in physical properties can provide advantages in useful lifetimes of seals, boots, and general molded rubber parts. Similar advantages for the pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon blacks would be envisaged in peroxide cured elastomers which, for example, do not contain unsaturated double bonds such as EPDM, or which may not need additional coupling agents to achieve their desirable properties.

Advantages for the pre-coupled, silicon-treated carbon blacks would also be expected in elastomers containing elements other than carbon and hydrogen which would give additional interactions with the silicon-containing domains in the carbon blacks. Examples of elastomers containing non-hydrocarbon groups would include but not be limited to NBR (acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber), XNBR (carboxylic-acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber), HNBR (hydrogenated-acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber), CR (chloroprene rubber), ECO (ethylene oxide-chloromethyl oxirane), GPO (polypropylene oxide-allyl glycidyl ether), PPO (polypropylene oxide), CSM (chloro-sulfonyl-polyethylene), CM (chloro-polyethylene), BIIR (bromo-isobutene-isoprene rubber), CIIR (chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber), ACM (copolymers of ethyl or other acrylate and small amount of vulcanizable co-monomer), and AEM (copolymers of ethyl or other acrylate and ethylene).

The present invention also permits an improved flexibility with respect to making elastomeric compounds. For instance, prior to the present invention, a fixed protocol was used with respect to the introduction of a coupling agent to a masterbatch. With the present invention, this fixed protocol is no longer necessary. Further, the present invention permits the reduced quantity of coupling agent needed to obtain the same hysteresis. In other words, the amount of coupling agent that is used to form the pre-coupled silicon-treated carbon black is less than the amount of coupling agent that would be traditionally added to an elastomer and filler and yet the same hysteresis is achieved. Further, the present invention permits the ability to use a coupling agent and silicon- treated carbon black with such elastomers as natural rubber and emulsion SBR in an easier and more successful fashion.

All patents, patent applications, test methods, and publications mentioned herein are incorporated by reference.

The present invention has of necessity been discussed herein by reference to certain specific methods and materials. The enumeration of these methods and materials was merely illustrative, and in no way constitutes any limitation on the scope of the present invention. It is to be expected that those skilled in the art may discern and practice variations of or alternatives to the specific teachings provided herein, without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the compositions of the present invention may include other reinforcing agents, other fillers, oil extenders, antidegradants, and the like. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A pre-coupled aggregate comprising an aggregate and a coupling agent coupled to said aggregate, wherein said aggregate comprises a carbon phase and a silicon-containing species phase.
 2. The pre-coupled aggregate of claim 1, wherein said aggregate, when compounded with an elastomer, imparts to the elastomer poorer abrasion resistance, comparable or higher loss tangent at lower temperature and a lower loss tangent at high temperature, compared to a carbon black.
 3. The pre-coupled aggregate of claim 1, wherein said silicon-containing species phase contains between about 0.1% and about 25% silicon, by weight of said aggregate.
 4. The pre-coupled aggregate of claim 3, wherein said silicon-containing species phase contains between about 0.5% and about 10% silicon, by weight of said aggregate.
 5. A reinforcing agent, comprising the pre-coupled aggregate of claim
 1. 6. The pre-coupled aggregate of claim 1, wherein said coupling agent is present in an amount of between about 0.15 weight percent and about 20 weight percent, based on the weight of the aggregate.
 7. An elastomeric compound comprising an elastomer; andthe pre-coupled aggregate of claim
 1. 8. The pre-coupled aggregate of claim 1, wherein said coupling agent comprises bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfane, 3-thiocyanatopropyl-triethoxy silane, γ-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxy silane, zirconium dineoalkanolatodi(3-mercapto)propionato-O, N,N'-bis(2-methyl-2-nitropropyl)-1,6-diaminohexane or mixtures of the foregoing.
 9. The pre-coupled aggregate of claim 1, wherein said coupling agent comprises a silane coupling agent, a zirconate coupling agent, a titanate coupling agent, a nitro coupling agent, or mixtures thereof.
 10. The elastomeric compound of claim 7, wherein said elastomer comprises solution SBR, natural rubber, functional solution SBR, emulsion SBR, polybutadiene, polyisoprene, or blends of any of the foregoing.
 11. The elastomeric compound of claim 7, wherein said elastomer comprises ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, poly chloroprene, natural rubber, hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber, nitrile butadiene rubber, chlororinated polyethylene, styrene butadiene rubber, butyl rubber, polyacrylic rubber, polyepichlorohydrin, ethylene vinyl acetate, or blends of the foregoing.
 12. The pre-coupled aggregate of claim 1, further comprising an organic group attached to said aggregate.
 13. The elastomeric compound of claim 7, further comprising a carbon black having an organic group attached thereto, silica, carbon black, a carbon black at least partially coated with silica, or mixtures thereof.
 14. An article of manufacture comprising a pre-coupled aggregate of claim
 1. 15. A method of preparing an elastomeric compound, comprising:coupling a first coupling agent onto an aggregate to form a pre-coupled aggregate, wherein said aggregate comprises a carbon phase and a silicon-containing species phase; masticating in a mixer, the pre-coupled aggregate and an elastomer, for a time and temperature sufficient to form a masterbatch; mixing said masterbatch; cooling said masterbatch to facilitate the addition of a curing additive and avoid substantial premature cross-linking; masticating in a mixer, a mixture comprising the masterbatch and a curing additive, and optionally a second coupling agent, for a time and temperature sufficient to form said elastomeric compound.
 16. A method for preparing an elastomeric compound, comprising:coupling a coupling agent to an aggregate to form a pre-coupled aggregate, wherein said aggregate comprises a carbon phase and a silicon-containing species phase; adding said pre-coupled aggregate to an elastomer and forming said elastomeric compound.
 17. A method to reduce the quantity of coupling agent used in an elastomeric compound, comprising:coupling a coupling agent to an aggregate prior to introduction of the aggregate into an elastomer, wherein said aggregate comprises a carbon phase and a silicon-containing species phase. 